Eleven hours…It had been eleven hours since Changkyun left and if “meeting a friend” was the only thing on his agenda, it was taking way too long. 

Jooheon paced around his own bedroom, glancing out the window at the darkened house next door. He waited and waited as the hours passed by for his friend to return home. 

“What the hell kind of social life does he have that I don’t know about?” Jooheon grumbled as he kicked a sock he discovered on his floor. 

Another hour came and went and it was already 11pm. There was no sign of the younger. 

Jooheon considered calling him over and over but hesitated each time, worried to anger his friend who was probably just out having fun.

Without him.

Jealousy was something foreign to Jooheon, mainly due to how inseparable the two generally were. Changkyun’s evasiveness mixed with lack-of-coming-home-at-a-decent-hour were bringing out a new side of Jooheon that Jooheon didn’t even know about. 

Twelve and a half hours after Changkyun’s initial departure, the boy returned home. Jooheon nearly jumped out of his window to harass his friend with questions when he noticed someone with him.

He felt slightly creepy, staring at the two from behind the window in his room, but Jooheon couldn’t help but stalk his neighbor. Never before had Changkyun brought a friend (other than Jooheon, of course) over to his house. 

The ugly fire within Jooheon burned ablaze but was immediately put out when he witnessed his friend wave goodbye to the stranger and walked into his house.

Alone.

To Jooheon’s surprise, a wave of relief washed over him as he watched the stranger fade into the distance. He discerned his odd behavior as worry over the possibility of the younger making reckless decisions. 

At that moment, he wanted to go over to the other’s place and bombard him with questions while holding him like he did the previous night. It was so comfortable to have Changkyun in his arms, like a child’s favorite stuffed animal